1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle pedal device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-271694 discloses a vehicle brake pedal device.
This vehicle is provided with a dash panel which constitutes a portion of a body shell.
The brake pedal device is provided with a pedal bracket and a pedal.
The pedal bracket and the pedal are located behind the dash panel. The front end portion (lower portion) of the pedal bracket is fixed to the rear surface of the dash panel with a bolt and a nut.
The pedal is supported by the pedal bracket to be rotatable about an axis extending in the vehicle width direction (i.e., lateral direction). The pedal is biased so as to be rotated rearward by a biasing means.
Additionally, the brake pedal device has a stopper which restricts a rearward rotation of the pedal at a predetermined initial position by contacting with the pedal from behind. Therefore, when a driver put his/her foot off the brake pedal, the brake pedal is located at the initial position.
Furthermore, a brake booster is fixed to the front surface of the dash panel. The brake booster has a pushrod which is movable in the forward/rearward direction. The rear portion of the pushrod passes through a through hole formed through the dash panel and is connected to the pedal.
Therefore, when the driver depresses the brake pedal forward by his/her foot, the pushrod moves forward. As a result, the brake booster is actuated. Then, the depression force applied by the driver is transmitted to brake hydraulic oil in a master cylinder while being amplified by the brake booster. Therefore, brake devices, which correspond to each of wheels respectively and are connected to the master cylinder, are activated, so that a braking force is exerted on each of the wheels from each of the brake devices.
The vehicle disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-271694 has a reinforcement for instrument panel supporting an instrument panel. The reinforcement for instrument panel extends in the vehicle width direction. Both ends of the reinforcement for instrument panel are fixed to the body shell. Furthermore, the vehicle brake pedal device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-271694 has a retreat prevention bracket (guide plate) fixed to the reinforcement for instrument panel.
The entire lower surface of the retreat prevention bracket is constituted by a curved surface which extends gradually downward from the front portion thereof to the rear portion thereof. The lower surface of the front end portion of the retreat prevention bracket is in contact with the upper surface of the rear end portion of the pedal bracket from above. Additionally, the retreat prevention bracket has a through hole penetrating the front end thereof in the vertical direction.
The pedal bracket has a long hole which penetrates the rear end portion thereof (upper portion thereof) in the vertical direction and extends in the forward/rearward direction. A weld nut is fixed (welded) to the lower surface of the rear end portion of the pedal bracket. The weld nut is provided with a main body and a pair of welding portions. The main body has a female screw hole whose axis extends in the vertical direction. The welding portions extend from left and right positions of the main body in the lateral direction respectively. The left and right welding portions of the weld nut are welded to the lower surface of the rear end of the pedal bracket, and the female screw hole of the weld nut is positioned directly below the long hole.
A bolt is inserted into the through hole of the retreat prevention bracket from above, and the bolt is screwed into the female screw hole of the weld nut fixed to the pedal bracket. The head portion provided at the upper end of the bolt is pressed against the upper surface of the retreat prevention bracket. In other words, the rear end portion of the pedal bracket and the front end portion of the retreat prevention bracket are sandwiched between the head portion of the bolt and the weld nut in the vertical direction.
In this way, the rear end portion (upper portion) of the pedal bracket is fixed to the retreat prevention bracket. In other words, the front end portion (lower portion) and the rear end portion (upper portion) of the pedal bracket are fixed to the dash panel and the retreat prevention bracket both of which are fixed members of the vehicle. Therefore, mounting strength of the pedal bracket with respect to the vehicle is a sufficient magnitude. Accordingly, when the driver depresses the brake pedal, a rotational movement of the brake pedal is stabilized.
For example, when the vehicle of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-271694 collides with another vehicle which is located in front of the vehicle, an impact is generated in the vehicle at the time of the collision, and thereby a large rearward force is applied to the entire vehicle. At this time, when a magnitude of a rearward force applied to the dash panel is larger than that of a rearward force applied to the reinforcement for instrument panel and the retreat prevention bracket, the dash panel deforms rearward with a larger amount than the retreat prevention bracket. As a result, the dash panel moves rearward together with the pedal bracket with respect to the retreat prevention bracket.
Then, when the magnitude of the rearward force applied to the dash panel and the pedal bracket exceeds a predetermined value, two portions of the weld nut which connect the main body with the welded portions are broken. Therefore, the bolt integrated with the retreat prevention bracket moves forward in the long hole of the pedal bracket. In other words, the pedal bracket moves rearward relative to the retreat prevention bracket.
Then, the rear portion of the pedal bracket comes into contact with the curved surface formed on the lower surface of the retreat prevention bracket. As a result, the pedal bracket is deformed obliquely downward by the curved surface, so that the brake pedal is moved obliquely forwardly downward. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a rearward movement of the brake pedal, in other words, a movement of the brake pedal toward the driver.